Elevatable drill pipe stacking apparatus



April 30, 1957 w. J. CLARK ELEVATABLE DRILL PIPE STACKING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY v C Zar/c Filed Jan. 8. 1954 April 30, 1957 w. J. CLARK 2,790,633

ELEVATABLE DRILL PIPE STACKING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1954 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ma k I ATTORNEY April 30, 1957 w. J. CLARK ELEVATABLE DRILL PIPE STACKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 INVENTOR A ORNEY United States ELEVATABLE DRILL PIPE STACKING APPARATUS This'invention relates to' an apparatus of extremely simple-construction for use in stacking sections of drill pipe after removal from a well and has for its primary object to provide an elevatable pipe supporting structure onto which sections of the drill pipe may beslid as they are removed from a Well and from which the pipesections can be rolled onto a pipe stack.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a device of the character described including an=elevatable platform or deck which may be raised as the height of stacked pipe rises so that pipe may always be rolled from the platform or deck to drop by gravity onto the top of the stack:

Accordingly, the present invention eliminates the need for using ropes or other rigging for lifting pipe from a platform or deck onto the top of a stack, thereby greatly increasing the speed at which the drill pipe'may be stacked .and eliminating the need of more than one workman to accomplish the stacking operation, as has been previously required.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an :apparatus which will minimize the risk of injury to work- :men in connection with the stacking of drill pipe due to apparatus utilizing a novel means of extremely simple construction for supporting and elevating a pipe support- .ing platform or deck to enable the upper surface of the deck or platform to be maintained above the level of the "top of a stack being formed by pipe rolled from said plat- :form.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from thefollowing description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the apparatus in' a fully elevated position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, showing the apparatus in a lowered position;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus taken .substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 4; I

Figure 4 is a longitudinal fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by theline 5 -5 of Figure 6;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure .5, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section- .al view taken' substantially along a plane as indicated by theline 7-7 of Figure 4.

1 Referring more specifically to the. drawings, the numeral l ll designates aderrick floor to one side edge-of aten f from one another.

2, which an inclined ramp 11 is connected by a hinge or hinges 12 for vertical swinging movement.

An elevatable drill pipe stacking'apparatus, designated generally '13, comprises four supporting stands, designated generally 14, 15, 16 and 17, each of which is preferably of hollow or tubular construction and each of which includes a rectangular base composed of side members 18 and end members'19' and 20 'to which the ends of the side members 18 are suitablysecured. The base and each of the stands includes a-cross member 21 which is located nearer the end member 19 than the end member 20. The two end stands-14 and 17 'also include a second cross member 22, which is located nearer the end members 20 and between said endmembers and the cross members '21; The base of the-stand 14 includes a pair of spaced rack members -23which are disposed between and spaced from'the side members 18 and which are'likewise spaced The'rack members 23'are provided with upwardly opening notches 24 which faceaway from thee'nd member 19; The other three stands 15, 16 and 17 include a'single rack member 23a which extends between the members 19' and 21' thereof and which is disposed midwaybetween' the side members 18. The rack mem bers 23a are provided with upwardly opening notches 24a corresponding to the notches 24. A pair ofinclined stop members 25 constitute a part of the stand 14 and extend upwardly andinwardly from the end member 20 at an incline and are supported intermediate of their. ends by upright supporting members 26 which arefixed to and rise from the cross member 22 and which are secured to portions of thestop members 25. The stop members 25 are disposed in longitudinal alignment with the rack members 23 and are provided with notched or recessed upper ends 27.

The base of the other end stand 17 includes a longitudinally extending member 28 which extends between and is secured to the cross members 22 and 20 and which is disposed in alignment with the rack member 23a. Each of the stands includes a support composed of a pair of posts 29 connected at their ends to a hollow bottom shaft 30 and a hollow top shaft 31, at points spaced from the ends of said shafts 30 and 31, as best seen in Figure 3. The end portions of the shafts 30 are turnably supported on the side members 18, intermediate of their ends, and are maintained against sliding movement thereon by strap members 32 which engage loosely thereover and which are secured at their ends by fastenings 33 to said side members 18, to permit the bottom shafts 30 to turn relatively to the stand bases. Bracket members 34 are clamped around the posts29 of the stand 14 only and said bracket members include fastenings 35 forming pivotal mountings for the upper endsof vertically swingable latch' elements 36, the lower ends of which are disposed over the racks 23 for selectively engaging the notches 24 thereof, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Each of the stands 15', 16 and 17 includes a cross member 37 extending between and connected to the posts 29 thereof, near the upper ends of said posts, and by means of which a single latch element 38 is pivotally supported on a bracket 39 carried by the cross member 37. The latch elements 38 are disposed midway of the sides 18 of the stands so that the free ends thereof are disposed over the rack bars 234; to selectively engage the notches 24a thereof. The cross member 37 has a bracket 40 extending therefrom in the opposite direction to its bracket 39 and toward its end member 20 to which is swingably connected by a fastening 41 a stop member and brace 42 for vertical swinging movement. The brace 42 is disposed directly over the base member 28 and is provided with a notched free end 43, as seen in Figures 5' and'6, which slidably engages said member 28.

, The stand 14 additionally includes a jack, designated generally 43, shown as being of the hydraulic or pneumatic type including a cylinder 44 pivotally supported at a lower closed end thereof on the end membr 19, as seen at 45, and having a piston rod 46 extending slidably through its opposite end. The outer end of the piston rod 46 is pivotally connected at 47 to an intermediate portion of the upper shaft 31 ofthe stand 14. It is to be understood that the jack 43 is of a conventional type capable of being extended in a conventinal manner by a pneumatic or fluid medium supplied thereto through a conduit 48 from any suitable available source of supply. It is also to be understood that'a conventional mechanical jack may be substituted for the jack 43.

The apparatus 13 also includes an elevatable elongated platform or deck, designated generally 49, composed of three sections 50, 51 and 52 each comprising a plurality of planks disposed longitudinally thereof and connected at their ends by cleats. The ends of the intermediate platform section 51 are connected to the adjacent ends of the end sections 50 and 52 by cleats 53, which additionally connect the planking of the sections and which are secured to said sections by a plurality of nut and bolt fastenings 54. The ends of the upper shaft 31 of the stand section 14 are turnably connected to the underside of and supports the platform section 50. Said shaft 31 turnably fits bracket members 32a, corresponding to the brackets 32 and which are secured to the underside of the platform section 50 by additional fastenings 54, remote from the intermediate platform section 51. The shaft 31 of the stand section 15 is similarly secured by brackets 32a turnably to the underside of the cleat 53 which connects the platform sections 50 and 51, by certain of the fastenings 54. The upper cross shaft 31 of the stand section 16 is turnably connected in a like manner by additional brackets 32:: to the underside of the cleat 54 which connects the sections 51 and 52. The upper cross shaft 31 of the end stand section 17 is disposed beneath a portion of the platform section 52, remote from the section 51 and is turnably connected thereto by additional brackets 32a. The overall length of the platform 49 is substantially greater than the normal length of a drill pipe 55, one of which is shown applied to and supported by the platform in Figure 2.

A flexible member 56 is connected to each of the latch members 38 and extends from the latch member 33 of the stand section 15 to and beyond the end of the platform section 50 disposed remote therefrom. Accordingly, the operator of the apparatus 13 may raise the two latch members 36 and by exerting a pull from right to left on the flexible members 56, may raise all of the latch members 33. With the latch members 36 and 38 in raised, inoperative positions, the medium under pres 1 sure contained in the jack cylinder 44 may be gradually released to allow the supporting posts 29 of the floor stand to swing to the left from their upright positions of Figure 1 to positions at substantially 45 angles to the base portions of the stand, as illustrated in Figure 2, to locate. the platform or deck 49 in its lowermost position. It will be obvious that the ramp 11 will swing downwardly with the platform 49 to maintain a position with its free end resting on the platform section t). Drill pipe sections 55 as they are raised from a well in a conventional manner to above the derrick floor and after having been uncoupled, are swung so that the lower end of each raised drill pipe section 55 may after being lowered be disposed to engage on the ramp 11, as illustrated at the left of Figure 2. As the drill pipe is further lowered, its lower end will slide down the ramp 11 and thence longitudinally from left to right along the deck 49 until the drill pipe is in a position resting completely upon the deck and longitudinally thereof, as seen in Figure 2. From this position of the drill pipe, a workman standing on the deck of platform 49 can readily roll the pipe 55 off of one side of the deck onto a stack or rack of drill pipe, not shown, disposed at one side of the apparatus 13 and having a top part located below the level of the deck 49.

With a conventional apparatus for stacking drill pipe, as the height of the stack rises to above the level of the platform or deck, the services of about five men was required employing ropes or other tackle to lift the drill pipe onto the stack. This operation is made more dinicult and dangerous due to the deck having become slippery from drilling mud on the drill pipe sections. With the apparatus 13, the need for more than one man to accomplish the stacking of the drill pipe from a position on the platform 49 is eliminated since as the stack of drill pipe rises to adjacent the level of the platform 49, the operator is only required to extend the jack 43 to swing the posts 29 clockwise toward upright positions. This can accomplished in a plurality of opera tions as the height of the stack rises and each time that the jack 43 is extended a short distance, the released latch elements 36 and 38 will swing downwardly as the posts 29 swing upwardly and while sliding along the rack bars 23 and 23a to automatically engage the next notch 24 or 24a to the right of the notch previously engaged by the free end of said latch member. Thus, the latch members will cooperate with the jack 43 to maintain the posts at different angles between their positions of Figures 2 and l for supporting the platform 49 at different elevations between its lowermost position of Figure 2 and its uppermost position of Figure 1. As the posts 29 of the section 17 swing upwardly, the free end of the brace 42 will slide along the member 28 so that when the posts are in upright positions the fork 43 of the brace 42 will be substantially in engagement with the end cross member 20 of the stand section 17. Likewise, when the posts 29 of the stand section 14 reach upright positions, as seen in Figure 4, said posts will be substantially in engagement with the notched ends 27 of the braces 25 which cooperate with the brace 42 to prevent any appreciable movement of the posts 29 beyond upright positions in a direction from left to right as seen in Figures 1 and 4. However, a slight movement of the posts 29 beyond upright positions is permitted by said braces to enable the latch elements 36 and 38 to be disengaged from the innermost notches 24 and 24a for returning the platform to its lowered position, as

, previously described.

It will be readily apparent that the platform sections and the stand sections may be disconnected to be separately moved or stored by merely removing the fastenings 54 which engage the eight bracket members 32a ,and the two cleats 53 which connect the intermediate platform section 51 to the end platform sections 50 and 52.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An elevatable drill pipe stacking apparatus of the character described comprising a plurality of stand sections including elongated base portions disposed in endto-end relationship, each of said stand sections having a pair of transversely spaced posts, means connecting lower ends of said posts and turnably supported on and connected to the base portion of the stand section intermediate of the ends of said base portion and transversely thereof, an elongated platform or deck, means connecting upper ends of the posts of each stand section, bearing means connected to the platform and turnably and detachably engaging said last mentioned means for con- -necting the pairs of posts along axes disposed transversely of the platform and to the underside of the platform for supporting the platform on said pairs of posts at a plurality of longitudinally spaced points, jack means connected to an end of one stand section and having an extensible part connected to the means connecting the upper ends of the posts of said stand section for swinging said posts in unison to and from inclined and upright positions for raising and lowering the platform or deck, a latch member swingably carried by the posts of each stand section, a stationary keeper member fixed to each base portion and having a notched upper surface disposed to be engaged by a free end of the latch member of said stand section, said latch members and keeper members cooperating to support the posts in different inclined positions for maintaining the platform at different elevations, and stop means forming a part of certain of the stand sections and arranged to engage between parts of the base portions thereof and parts of said posts to prevent swinging movement of the posts in one direction beyond upright positions, certain of said latch members and said stop means forming diagonal braces between certain of the posts and the base portions of the stand sections thereof and extending downwardly and outwardly in opposite directions from said posts for supporting hte posts in upright positions and the platform in a fully elevated position.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1, said platform being composed of three sections, a part of said bearing means connecting the platform sections together in end-to-end relationship, the posts of two of said stand sections being disposed beneath the platform adjacent the ends of ari intermediate one of said platform sections and the posts of two additional stand sections engaging beneath the end platform sections and remote from said intermediate platform section.

3. An apparatus as in claim 2, said stand sections being connected to one another solely by said means connecting the stand section posts to the platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 322,645 Schlichting July 21, 1885 864,902 Moore Sept. 3, 1907 1,080,581 Preece Dec. 9, 1913 1,275,381 Butler et a1. Aug. 13, 1918 1,291,146 Renter Jan. 14, 1919 1,950,593 Bonnet Mar. 13, 1934 2,201,813 Doud May 21, 1940 2,543,274 Bender Feb. 27, 1951 2,589,181 Yount Mar. 11, 1952 2,639,450 Ramer May 26, 1953 2,714,735 Watson Aug. 9, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 254,431 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1948 

